


Responsibilities

by rmc28



Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-03
Updated: 2015-07-03
Packaged: 2018-04-07 13:18:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4264659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rmc28/pseuds/rmc28
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Howard carves out a day from SI and SHIELD to take Tony to a baseball game for his ninth birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Responsibilities

**Author's Note:**

  * For [arysteia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arysteia/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Exclusive](https://archiveofourown.org/works/847207) by [copperbadge](https://archiveofourown.org/users/copperbadge/pseuds/copperbadge). 



Howard left it to the end of his weekly meeting with Obie to bring it up.

“One more thing. It’s Tony’s ninth birthday soon. What’s the likelihood of me being able to take the day?”

Obie raised his eyebrows. “Nine already! I keep thinking of him as that four year old with the circuit board - that seems like yesterday”

Howard nodded. “Well, that’s part of why I want the day. He’ll be graduating university in another nine years, and he’ll have to go to school first; not too many birthdays left to celebrate with his old man.”

Obie nodded, his solid presence as reassuring as always to Howard.

“Well boss, it’s not like you take a day … ever. I think we should be able to allow you the kid’s birthday. I’ll do my best to keep a lid on any fires.”

A thought occurred to Howard. “Well, I suppose it can act as a test case for areas I’m going to need to delegate if I’m ever to step down.” It seemed impossible, and yet if Tony was nearly nine, Howard himself was nearly sixty.

“True enough,” nodded Obie. “I’ll take notes. What does the kid have in mind?”

“He’s obsessed with baseball statistics and wants to see the Giants play at Candlestick Park”

“Huh. I’m a Dodgers man myself. But good to get them started young. Is that all for now?”

“That’s all”

 

*****

 

He raised it with Peggy that evening on the phone. They didn’t speak every day, but near enough; more when SHIELD was dealing with a crisis (which was often). Peggy was if anything more supportive than Obie, and a lot more pointed along the lines of _too right you need to spend time with that child of yours, genius needs love as much as stupidity_.

“Obie’s going to take notes of everything where my absence suggests a serious problem; turn it into a target for delegation.”

“Sensible idea,” said Peggy crisply. “Perhaps I should do the same; not the same day as you of course, let’s not tempt fate. But we’re neither of us getting any younger, and it’s time to think about the next generation of leaders, and not just the ones still in short pants.”

“Thank you Peggy for your support, as always,” said Howard drily.

 

*****

 

Maria and Jarvis of course were easy to convince, right down to keeping it quiet until the day, just in case. Jarvis threw himself into organising the whole thing, and Maria smiled delightedly, hugged him fiercely and positively glowed with happiness for the next few days.

Howard commented on her reaction after a couple of days, and Maria sighed.

“I knew what your life was like before I married you; I know how much depends on you and how hard you have to work. But that boy of ours worships the ground you walk on and he needs you too. Of course I’m glad you’re giving him a whole day. I could just wish it wasn’t such a rarity.”

Howard tensed. “Are we having this argument _again_ , Maria?” She didn’t flinch, and he remembered that was one of the first things he’d noticed about her, that she didn’t let herself be intimidated by his authority, or anyone’s. That coming down hard on her just made her hold her ground harder.

She held his eyes just long enough to make him remember that, and then dropped her shoulders and leaned into his arm. 

“No, let’s not spoil the evening.”

 

*****

 

The day came and Howard found himself quietly gleeful that Tony was still oblivious to the treat ahead.

“Fancy taking a little plane ride, son?” he asked over breakfast, when Tony had finished chattering about half a dozen things at once. Tony focused his whole attention on Howard, who was briefly shaken by its intensity. 

“In the Piper, sir?” was what came out of that intent childish face. “I would love to.” He looked for a moment as if he was going to say more, but had squashed it. Howard tried to suppress annoyance that Tony wasn’t even going to ask where, especially given how many times the topic of Candlestick Park had come up recently. He remembered Maria and tried to be patient.

“Thought we’d pop up to, say, San Francisco,” he said, keeping voice as unconcerned as possible. Tony positively lit up, looking for a moment the image of his mother, and put his hands over his mouth rather than ask a question. Howard told himself to stop waiting to be asked, and be the grown-up for once.

“I hear there’s a game at Candlestick Park today,” he went on, faking a casual tone like he’d done a thousand times before, faking it until he made it.

Tony almost leapt out of his seat. “Really, sir? Really? Do you mean it? Oh, this is the best birthday ever,” he rattled, almost jumping out of his seat.

“Finish your meal before you get up,” snapped out Howard, as he had however many hundreds of times, and Tony deflated, but only enough to maintain decent table manners until it was time to leave.

 

Jarvis drove them to the airfield, and Tony’s near-silence after the reprimand at breakfast evaporated into a dozen questions about the Piper, and then about flight plans and fuel calculations and everything that occurred to him. Howard found himself explaining the steps of the take-off checklist as he went, rather than rattling through as fast as possible, as he usually did. He didn’t miss Tony’s rebellious look, and couldn’t help sympathise, but made his voice deliberately serious.

“Everything on this checklist is there because at some point a pilot died, and then a lot of smart people went over exactly how he died, and worked out the best way to stop it happening again. We respect them by respecting the checklist.”

Too serious, damnit. Tony had deflated again, looking out the window stiffly. Howard was pretty sure he was trying not to cry. Why was Howard so bad at handling his child? What normal dad made their kid want to cry on his own birthday. Not that Howard had ever wanted to be a normal dad or a normal anything, and nor need his son, not with SI doing well and Obie developing nicely. He might have left fatherhood late but he wasn't neglecting a transition plan.

Howard continued to narrate his way through the checklist, giving Tony the courtesy of ignoring his tears and pretending everything was fine. Soon enough the excitement of takeoff and then of seeing the country from above for the first time brought Tony back out of his shell. Howard continued narrating, pointing out landmarks, explaining his manoeuvres, every step he did while flying. 

He had forgotten how much he loved flying. He always did, until he was up there again, slipping the surly bonds of earth and other sentiments he’d never voice on the ground. Tony’s focused attention was a pleasure in itself, his clever clever boy taking absolutely everything in. Howard was abruptly and deeply happy he’d decided to take this day, to have this time with Tony, to share this part of his life.

 _I could do this a lot more often, if I retired_ came the traitorous thought. Howard pushed it away; retirement wasn’t possible, not now, now yet. But this flight was.

It couldn’t last; the joy faded away as they came down into San Francisco and departed the plane. Howard was pleased to see the limo Jarvis had arranged ready to collect them, and even more pleased to see Tony’s evident delight that Howard was coming along too.

Howard let Tony’s baseball chatter wash over him as they drove to the stadium, took their seats (in the best place, as promised, well done Jarvis), settled down to watch the game. It wasn’t of any interest to Howard really, though he appreciated just how good Tony’s grasp of the maths was. He paid just enough surface interest to respond to questions, and cheer and boo when the crowd did likewise. Tony seemed to be too excited by the game to notice anyway, and it meant he could think about the half-dozen most urgent problems at SI without really being interrupted.

Food came and went, and Howard made sure to get plenty - Tony was a growing kid after all - but regretfully avoided the beer. Not with the return flight to make later. Not with the problem-solving to do now.

By the time the game finally ended, Howard reckoned he had solutions for at least two of his problems worked out. Tony was stuffed to the gills on hot dogs and eyeing the remaining few.

“Best not, son,” said Howard. “Don’t want to deal with any airsickness on the way home, after all”.

Tony blushed, looked horrified, and said “Of course not, Dad. Sir. I would never!”

“Never say never, Tony,” said Howard. “You’ve not done enough flying to be sure yet. Anyway, there’s bags and stuff if it is a problem.” For some reason this didn’t seem to reassure Tony as he'd intended

They made a leisurely way out of the stadium to the limo, to begin the reverse of their journey in. Howard was not entirely surprised when Tony fell asleep on the way to the airport. He was surprised at the rush of feeling when he lifted Tony out to carry him into the plane. His arms full of warm sleepy child and his heart full of warm protectiveness. Sentimental again, and on the ground this time, but still true.

He laid Tony in the seat and fastened the straps around him. The flight felt strange: as good as flying always did, yet strangely empty with just Tony’s sleeping company rather than the morning’s chatter and conversation.

Tony woke as they began the approach to land, and sat quietly all the way down, not disturbing Howard at all. They saw Jarvis waiting for them with the car. At a quiet word from Howard, Tony raced over to Jarvis, while Howard finished handing over to the airfield staff.

“Welcome back, sir,” Jarvis greeted him. “Master Tony suggests he rides in the front with me to tell me all about the day, and I have these messages for you from Mr Stane and Mrs Carter.”

Howard took the envelopes from Jarvis and climbed into the rear seat, letting Tony’s voice wash over him much as he had earlier at the game. That golden flight of the morning seemed a world away now. It was time to catch up with what he’d missed by taking the day.

**Author's Note:**

> I owe the entire plot of this to a paragraph in the third chapter of Exclusive by copperbadge, where Tony reminisces about his father taking him to a baseball game. I reread that story while mulling over arysteia's prompt and this happened. Thanks, copperbadge!
> 
> (if you want more Howard Stark, that is not the story to read; but it is a great Avengers story and I adore it)


End file.
